Modern distributed architectures require a secure, reliable way to exchange messages in asynchronous, loosely-coupled systems. For Java developers, the Java Message Service (JMS) provides that core functionality. The Apache ActiveMQ message broker is a complete open source implementation of the JMS specification. The ActiveMQ Message-Oriented Middleware, coupled with its Enterprise Integration Provider are the building blocks of an Enterprise Service Bus the backbone of a contemporary Service Oriented Architecture. ActiveMQ is implemented in Java, but it supports client applications written in many other programming languages including C/C++, .NET, Ruby, Perl, PHP, Python, and more. It can be integrated with other open source frameworks including Tomcat, ServiceMix, JBoss, and can easily bridge to other JMS providers. Apache ActiveMQ in Action is a thorough, practical guide to implementing message-oriented systems in Java using ActiveMQ. The book lays out the core of ActiveMQ in clear language, starting with the anatomy of a JMS message and moving quickly through connectors, message persistence, authentication and authorization. With the basics well in hand, you move into interesting examples of ActiveMQ at work, following a running Stock Portfolio application. You'll integrate ActiveMQ with containers like Geronimo and JBoss and learn to tie into popular Java-based technologies like Spring Framework. Along the way, you'll pick up best practices forged out of the deep experience the authors bring to the book. You'll learn to integrate with non-Java technologies and explore advanced topics like broker topologies and configuration and performance tuning. Additionally, the book will introduce readers to using Apache Camel with Apache ActiveMQ as a way to easily utilize the Enterprise Integration Patterns.